Riot Games will begin VALORANT‘s 2027 Open Qualifiers in November 2026, giving amateur and other non-partner teams a formal route into the VCT’s top events. The path can lead from Kickoff to Cups, Masters, and even Champions, and Riot is attaching meaningful fixed support to each step. A team that reaches every listed level can receive up to $1.1 million across the season.
The plan expands on Riot’s 2026 Path to Champions format, which placed Challenger teams in VCT Stage 2 Play-Ins. For 2027, teams outside the partner system will have more than one chance to reach the main circuit, although the detailed regional calendar and registration windows are still to come.
How the 2027 Kickoff field will be filled
Americas, EMEA, and Pacific will each send 12 teams to Kickoff. Partner organizations will hold eight places in each region, while the remaining four will come through Open Qualifiers.
Non-partner teams that reach the major VCT stages will receive fixed qualification payments and can also compete for prize money at applicable events. Riot’s announced payments are $100,000 for qualifying for Kickoff or a Cup, $200,000 for qualifying for Masters, and $400,000 for qualifying for Champions.
Riot has also earmarked more than $7 million in competitive rewards across the 2027 season. The end-of-year Game Changers Championship will carry a separate $1 million prize pool. Regions may host multiple Open Qualifiers during the season, so missing one tournament will not necessarily end a team’s run for the year.
Riot has also confirmed that China will host its own Open Qualifiers. The company plans to provide more details about each regional pathway as registration approaches.
Where teams can compete
The Open Qualifiers will run across 16 regional competitions. Americas will include North America, Latin America North, Latin America South, and Brazil. EMEA will include Europe, Türkiye, and MENA.
Pacific will include South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania. The Southeast Asia qualifier will cover the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and the rest of the region. China will operate separately from the three main VCT regions.
Each competition will have its own registration process, format, and eligibility rules. In most regions, at least three of a team’s five players must come from that region. Open and creator-led squads that retain at least three of their five players will also keep their competitive progress through the season, giving teams a reason to build around a stable core.
When the 2027 route begins
Free agency opens on Nov. 2, 2026, and the Open Qualifiers will begin during November. VCT 2027 Kickoff is scheduled for January 2027, followed by the first Masters event in February. Riot’s official VCT 2027 Open Qualifiers announcement confirms that broad schedule, while detailed registration information for each region has yet to arrive.
Teams do not need to register immediately, but the November start leaves little room for casual roster planning. Squads interested in competing should settle on a five-player lineup, confirm that every player has a valid passport, and begin handling visa or travel requirements where necessary.
The open structure gives teams more access than the partner era did, but it will also put more pressure on preparation. A roster may have several opportunities to reach Kickoff, yet each qualifier will still be a direct test against teams fighting for the same limited places.
Riot’s upcoming regional guidance should clarify how often each area will run qualifiers, how teams move between stages, and when the routes toward Cups, Masters, and Champions will be available. Until then, the first firm deadline is November 2026, when the new open path begins.
Which teams do you expect to benefit most from the new qualifier system? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Valorant
Developed by Riot Games
Valorant is a character-based 5v5 tactical shooter set on the global stage. Outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition with tactical abilities, precise gunplay, and adaptive teamwork.
- Genre Shooter, Tactical
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Perspective First person
- Modes Multiplayer
- Release June 2, 2020
- Publisher Riot Games
-
Age Rating
